Hey Reader,

We're getting to that time of the year when I start thinking about the new year and the things I want to focus on during the coming year.

In previous years, I used to make a lot of New Year's resolutions that I would be very excited about the very first days and weeks at the beginning of each year, and then quickly forget and feel bad when, at the end of the year, I hadn't done half of the stuff I had said I wanted to do that year.

Now, I focus more on the intentions I have for the new year and the habits I want to create, take with me (or even leave), for the year ahead.

Something that has helped me recently on this exercise of setting up my priorities for the year ahead is the story of the "Rocks, the Pebbles, and the Sand".

In the story, a university professor who wanted to make a point about the importance of prioritizing how we spend the time in our lives stands in front of his class and takes out 4 items: a large empty jar, large rocks, a box full of pebbles, and a bag of sand, and places them at his desk.

The professor fills the empty jar with the large rocks. He then asks the class if the jar is full. The students quickly agreed that the jar was full.

The professor then takes the box of pebbles, adds them to the jar, and gives it a little shake to move the pebbles into the open areas around the rocks. The professor, then, asked the class again if the jar was full, and they fully agreed that it was.

The next time, the professor took the bag of sand and added it to the jar, filling the spaces between the rocks and the pebbles. Afterwards, he asked again, "Now, is the jar full?" The students laughed, agreeing it was.

The professor goes on to say:

This story reminds me of three important lessons:

• The priority and the order you assign to the things you focus on do matter. If you pour in the sand first, you'll never have room for the rocks. Many people fill their lives with noise and material things and miss out on what truly matters.
• If you only have the big rocks, your jar would still be full. You can still live a fully abundant life if you focus on the people you love, on your health, your purpose, your basic needs, and the things that you value.
• The sand sneaks in through the spaces silently, without sometimes even noticing it. It looks like the busy calendar, the endless notifications, the urgent tasks, the status play, and all the obligations you say yes to without considering. The sand will fill the jar quickly before you place your rocks if you allow it.

This is just a reminder that a life that feels full is not one that is crammed full up to the hilt. A full life is one that it's filled with the right things (placed together in the right order).

So, today I want to encourage you to think about your jar:

• What are your big rocks in life? Write them down.
• Are you placing your rocks first in your life? Or are they getting the room that is left after you place the pebbles and sand?

Whatever you choose to put in first determines the kind of life you have.

Choose intentionally.

Your search for "more clarity."

We all want clarity in our lives. We all want to feel like we know exactly what we're doing with our lives, where we're going next, and how we're getting there.

That's why, oftentimes, when we feel unsure about our next steps, we feel that we 'should' have already figured it out. That we are "late" or "behind" for not having the 'perfect plan' or the 'perfect vision' from where we are now to where we want to go next.

We feel that we need to have the perfect plan for the perfect career, the perfect business, the perfect relationship, the perfect way of doing things.

We think we need to feel clear about the 'what' and the 'how' before we can do anything. And so, we don't take any action, waiting for clarity or for the right plan to arrive.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like this. It's usually the opposite way.

Taking action (no matter how imperfect or 'wrong' it may feel) is actually what creates the clarity you're looking for.

And often, it doesn't happen quickly or how we initially pictured it either... You may take action and feel like nothing is happening. No feedback, no grand breakthroughs, no clear direction. It’s honestly frustrating and disappointing. That's why most people quit when they think nothing is happening.

We all assume that if we don't get the perfect results or if we don't immediately get clarity, then it means we’re on the wrong path.

What would happen if you started considering this part as exactly what you need to move forward? That if you keep going, if you keep showing up, trying, experimenting, exploring, failing, and refining, you start to get the clarity you're looking for, and you start to see what matters most to you.

Because these "a-ha moments" don't suddenly just happen to us; they're built upon days, weeks, months, and sometimes even years of experimenting, failing, and readjusting.

So, try this:

The next time you feel stuck or confused about the step ahead, just focus on taking an action.

• Take a job, even if it’s not ‘the’ job.
• Start a business, even if it’s not ‘the’ business.
• Go on a date, even if it’s not ‘the’ date.
• Register for a hobby, even if it’s not ‘the’ hobby.
• Try a gym, even if it’s not ‘the’ gym
• Move to that city, even if it's not 'the' city.

The clarity you think you need before you can take an action is exactly the one you get AFTER taking the action.

We think we need to have everything figured out before we do anything…

The truth is that to figure anything out, you have to start by putting yourself out there and trying things that may not be ‘THE’ thing, but that will still get you closer to YOUR thing.

No one has everything figured out in their lives. No one knows exactly what their next step is. Everyone has to figure it out along the way.

The people you admire are the ones who are willing to start, who stop overthinking it, stop waiting for a permission slip, or for the perfect plan… And instead, they just keep showing up messily, imperfectly.

You don’t have to make the “perfect move”. You just need to make a “move”.

Becuase here's the truth: You won't know how you feel about the decision until you make the decision.

So, let go of trying to look for the "perfect plan" and move on, make the decision.

No plan for your life will survive first contact with reality.

Focus instead on developing a bias for action.

Get curious. Talk to people. Try stuff.

And realize this: Lasting happiness is about "wanting what you get, not getting what you want".

Something I'm loving right now

• Feeling the sunlight in my face and in my eyes first thing in the mornings. It's one of the most peaceful (and easy) tricks to start your day feeling more energized and, dare I say, even more inspired.
• Being a little more intentional about making plans with family and friends before the end of the year and even in the coming year. I'm pulling out the calendar, blocking off the time, and reaching out to people to get together. And bonus points if it's out in the future, because you get the anticipation and the excitement of having cool plans.

So here are a few simple things to make next year one of the best years of your life:

Define your big rocks and put them first in your jar (in your life and your schedule). Stop waiting and make a 'move' (any move!). Get outside first time in the morning and get some sunlight on your skin and eyes. Make plans with friends, old and new, to do things together in 2026.

We got this!

Love creating your mind one day at a time? Forward this to a friend so they can get in on the action and sign up below. Subscribe to The Created Mind Thank you for reading and sharing, Jenny ​​​​

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